Fewer Quebecers head to movies, but market share of Quebec films rises

MONTREAL — There were fewer visits to Quebec movie theatres in 2024, bucking an upward trend that had seen the number of trips to the cinema grow steadily since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data from Quebec’s statistics institute found that movie theatres in Quebec recorded 13.5 million visits last year compared to 14.6 million in 2023.

Movie outings in both those years numbered far less than in 2019, when Quebec theatres recorded 18.7 million visits.

That number plummeted to 4.3 million visits in 2020, during the pandemic, and had been increasing every year until 2024.

Despite the attendance drop in 2024, Quebec movies grabbed a 15 per cent share of the market, the highest percentage since a record 19 per cent in 2005.

In 2024, three Quebec films ranked in the top 20 for highest theatre attendance: “Nos Belles-Sœurs,” “Le cyclone de Noël” and “1995.”

The number of people who went to see a Quebec movie rose to two million in 2024 compared to 1.8 million in 2023 and well higher than in 2019, when just 1.5 million went to see a local film.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.